NHL 35

However, apart from their bodies having grown much closer, I don’t feel certain that Joeon has opened his heart to me as well. There are still so many things Dylan doesn’t know about Joeon. One thing is certain: Joeon is misunderstanding himself.

At first, Dylan also simply thought of Joeon as reserved and introverted. After all, he came from an Eastern country where respecting and obeying elders is considered a virtue. But the longer Dylan spent observing Joeon, the more he saw a suppressed energy hidden behind that cautious attitude.

If he is capable of coming to such a distant place to study at a young age, there must clearly be an independent and progressive side living and breathing within him. Although Joeon described himself as a coward who gives up easily, it was he himself who decided to take on the challenge of learning to skate—something he had never tried before. Even though no one pushed him, he stepped onto the ice of his own volition.

What Joeon lacks doesn’t seem to be talent, background, or circumstances, but rather confidence. Dylan wished for Joeon to be a person who could feel sure of his own choices. And, he wanted him to share the thoughts he held in his heart with him, rather than suppressing them inside.

Is it that I have failed to gain his complete trust yet? Perhaps I am asking for too much.

Dylan stared at his smooth cheek with a serious face. His gaze slowly moved to his twitching cheekbones. His eyes—transparent like gems transmitting light, making it easy to see deep inside—were filled with Dylan.

“Oh my, did I wake you? Was I looking at you too intensely?”

“I wasn’t sleeping.”

“You can sleep if you’re tired. We did some incredible exercise last night….”

“I said I wasn’t sleeping.”

“Is that so?”

“It’s just that the light was a bit bright in my eyes. Although the sun is nice. It’s hard to enjoy this kind of sunlight in the winter, after all.”

Dylan smiled quietly, as if in agreement. Even before choosing the profession of an ice hockey player, Dylan had always liked winter, but he was equally glad for the sunlight. Moreover, for someone who sticks to the same time and the same amount of exercise to maintain his usual routine even on off-days, the leisure of simply enjoying the winter sun like this was unfamiliar and special.

It cannot be compared to the intensity of summer, but the light—negligible as a feather—tickled his chest.

“Then, do you like summer more?”

As if he had never thought about it, the person who had been lost in thought while exhaling languidly shook his head slowly.

“Not really. I don’t have many good memories in the summer.”

“I’ll have to try very hard, then.”

“…To do what?”

“It’s nothing.”

As Dylan smiled broadly, Joeon hurriedly averted his gaze. In the blink of an eye, they were again as close as the width of a palm between their faces.

“In that case, Joeon, you must like winter more. I imagine you have quite a few good memories. For instance, ‘Christmas’ or something….”

Joeon discovered Christmas decorations in a corner of the living room that seemed as if they hadn’t been cleared away yet. And at the sudden afterimage that came to mind, he furrowed his brows.

Whenever he thought of Christmas, he always remembered Maya’s warm, cozy house. The faithful Maya thought Christmas was important, and it was a big event for Maya’s family. In the midst of that, Joeon occasionally felt as though he was being saved by their warmth. Smoothing out his furrowed brow and lifting his lips into a crooked smile, he let out a short, airy laugh.

“Perhaps.”

At the same time, Joeon turned his head and tossed out a joke.

“When would I ever get to drive a Zamboni worth over ten thousand dollars….”

Dylan, who had pounced as if waiting for that very moment, swallowed his lips. The lips that had touched softly, gently, and with a hint of tenderness, fell away quickly. He did not engage in a messy kiss that would ruin the warm picture.

“…as that.”

“Joeon, you really are a smart person. You know the correct answer.”

Joeon wiped his lips with the back of his hand. His reddened cheeks were half-hidden.

“…Well, it’s a job where I calculate money. You might not know because you’re unaware, but I might actually be an incredibly calculating person.”

“That’s great. I don’t calculate.”

Just as Dylan said, he is a person with a personality vastly different from the quiet and calculating Joeon. He is as unpredictable and impulsive as a vibrant beast. That exact point created a formless anxiety.

Joeon glanced at Dylan to hide his heartbeat, which had begun to pound irregularly. Perhaps he succeeded in catching his attention, as Dylan, who had been staring only at Joeon’s lips, met his eyes with a sparkle.

“Say, Dylan. Come to think of it, didn’t you say you had a gift for me? Even if it was just an excuse to lure me to your house, if you prepared something, I feel like I should check it.”

Joeon changed the subject, pushing away Dylan, who was trying to cling to him again.

“Ah, right.”

“Right?”

“Haha, I’m not lying. I really do have it. Follow me this way.”

As if he had only just remembered, Dylan led Joeon toward the dressing room. Unlike the bedroom, items that hadn’t been tidied up were shoved messily into drawers or closets.

From among them, Dylan managed to pull out the item he was looking for. The new item, brought in its original box packaging, was a helmet and protective gear, though unlike those for professional players, it was designed to protect only the elbows and knees. Joeon looked back and forth between the items and Dylan.

“I bought them by roughly guessing the size, but would you like to try them on? If they don’t fit, I’ll exchange them.”

Fortunately, whether he had ordered the size by comparing it to the protective gear Joeon had borrowed previously, it fit perfectly, as if it had been his own from the start.

Joeon ran his fingertips over the sparkling, polished surface. A dazed, foolish expression was reflected back. Only then did he lift the corners of his mouth and smile.

“Thank you. I’ll use them well. I don’t think I’ll get hurt even if I fall. However, the helmet is, um….”

As Joeon trailed off, as if to say he didn’t want to wear the helmet, Dylan hurriedly placed the blue helmet on Joeon’s head. A polar bear character, symbolizing Dylan’s team, was printed in white.

“Wear it. We can’t have you cracking your skull if you happen to fall.”

“…”

Naturally, he hoped no such thing would happen, but the assumption was quite horrific. It was a dark joke that only someone like Dylan, who had experienced concussion protocols, could make. Joeon, his complexion turning pale, nodded obediently. He stood up and took a skating stance.

“I think it fits well.”

Because the protective gear pressed firmly against his joints, his movement wasn’t entirely free, but since he was slow and clumsy when skating anyway, he didn’t think it would be much of a hindrance.

“But when is the next lesson? Coach.”

When Joeon asked playfully, Dylan finally wore a regretful expression. The gift seemed like compensation for the lesson time he couldn’t fill. Even though, in truth, there was no need for that.

“I’m sorry. My game schedule is busy for the time being. Let’s go skating again during the All-Star break.”

“It’s fine. I wasn’t saying it to rush you. You don’t need to worry about it at all. I’m grateful just for you taking care of me like this. Thank you so much.”

A flustered Joeon waved his hands. Dylan gazed blankly at Joeon, then pressed his lips against his again without warning. Although the surprise attack crushed the romance by bumping their foreheads against the helmet, it was a completely natural and habitual touch, as if he were treating a long-time lover.

Joeon complied obediently, trying his best to match Dylan’s pace, which was faster than his own. However, a question that hadn’t disappeared remained faintly in a corner of his mind, whispering:

So, where is the final destination for this runaway train?

🏒🥅

He was lucky. The mart was crowded, and there was only one cart left.

The middle-aged man who followed behind him had no choice but to head toward the area where wire shopping baskets without wheels were stacked.

“First, let’s buy meat.”

The meat section was on the complete opposite side from where the two were standing. Not very efficient. While Joeon scanned the inside of the mart, Dylan actively pushed the cart until they reached the meat section.